Stop-indicator



R. LEE AND'C. A. HIATT. STOP INDICATOR.

APPLlCATION FLED JAN.2, 1920.

1,345,937' Patented my 6, 1920;,

' zsHEIETssHEET l.

R. LEE AND c. A. HlATT. STOP INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2, 1920.

Patented July 6, 1920.

.f showing a portion of the operating means UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD LEE AND CHARLES A. HIA'IT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS OF ONE--V HALF TO CLAUD I). HALL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STOP-INDICATOR.

Laisser.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented JulyT `6, 17920.

Application filed January 2, 1920. Serial No. 348,734.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD LEE and CHARLES A. HIATT, citizens of the United States, and iesidents of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Inr provements in Stoplndicators, of which the following is a speciiication, containing a full, clear, and exact description, references being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

@ur invention relates to improvements in stop indicators and has for its primary object an indicator which will designate the next stopping point or station of a street car or other passenger conveyance.

A further object is to constiuct a stop indicator which may be used by any public conveyance using compressed air as a braking or stopping` means.

A further object is to construct a stop indicator which is especially designed for street cars having an overhead trolley but which may also be used on electric sti'eet cars using a third rail or on a steam railway, the only difference being that in the cars using a third rail or on a steam road, the trtipping mechanism is secured to the ties instead of overhead.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showing the overhead trolley and the air connection from the storage tank to the valve and from the valve to the tripping device.

F ig. 2 is a view looking toward the front of the car, showing our device in position.

Fig. 3 an enlarged view of our device in section.

lF ig. i an end view of the rack and pinion carrying mechanism.

F 5 an edge view of the gear and ratchet wheels.

Fig. 6 a side view of the same.

F ig. 7 a side view of the air valve made use of, showing the spring for returning the trip lever to vertical position.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view ofthe valve showing the means whereby the air is transferred from the storage tank to the operating cylinder.

Fig. 9 a face view of the trip lever made use of.

Fig. 10 a perspective view of the trip block.

F 11 is an edge view of Fig. 9, and 55 ig. 12 a perspective view of one of the indicating cards made use of.

ln the construction of our device we make use of a platform roof 13 and the car roof 14. To the platform roof 13 is secured the housing 15, which is provided with a rectangular opening' 16, (see F 4f). This opening permits the insertion of a bar 17., which is provided at one end with a plurality of teeth 18, and at the other with a knob 19. 'I he rack 18 meshes with a gear 20.

Secured 'to the gear 20 is a ratchet wheel 21, this wheel being fastened by means of screws 22 or other securing or fastening means.

lThe housing is provided with projecting ears 23 in which the shaft 2li is mounted and on this shaft and between the ears, the gear and ratchet wheel 21 are mounted. Below the housing 15 is secured an air cylinder 25 in which a piston 26 is inserted, the cylinder 25 having a projecting end 27 to which is secured a pipe 2,8, this pipe conveying air into the cylinder 25. The end of the cylinder opposite the projecting end 27 is provided with a cap 28 which has perforations 29 formed therein, and between the cap 28 and the piston 26 a spring 30 is inserted, this spring tending to drive the piston 26 backward.

Between thev projecting ears 23 of the housing 15 and adjacent the ratchet wheel 2l is inserted the arm 31 which has a spring actuated pawl 32, this pawl engaging with the ratchet wheel. The pawl 32 is mounted on the end 33 of the arm 3l and the piston rod 3e being connected to the arm 35. The piston 28 is loosely mounted in the cylinder 25 so as to allow leakage through the openings 29. This will allow the spring to force the piston backward after having been forced forward by the sudden inrush of compressed air. The housing 15 is supported by a web 35' which is formed integral with the base 36, this base being secured to the roof 13 of the car platform. In the car roof 14. are secured staples or U shaped hangers 37 which receive the hook 38 of the indicator supporting device. This indicator supporting device is of U shaped construction and is provided on each end with perforated bosses 39, through which a shaft 40 extends.

The indicators are constructed of a frame work 4l, this frame 41 being providedat one end with an ear 42 and the perforation 43, the perforation 43 being adapted to slip over the shaft 40. ln this frame is secured a sheet of opaque material 44 and on both sides of this stripthe name of the street is imprinted. In other words, as in Fig. 12,

the word Broadway7 would appear on both any length or width, but it is only essentialin our invention that the same be secured to the Wire 48 in such a manner that it will Y' the housing providedwith ports 52 and 53,

the port 52 being connected to the -air tank 54, and the port 53 to the pipe 28.

To the cylindrical member 50 is attached the lever 55'. This lever is held in upright vposition by means of a leaf spring 56 and thepin 5'?, so that the lever 55 can operate in one direction only.

l/Ve may, if desired, make the first and last frames blank `or opaque, so that any of the other indicators dropping behind will not be seen-from the interior of the car, or in. other words', only the horizontal sign can be read;`

Y The operation of our device is as follows:

After the indicator has been hung in position and the vrack pushed forward as far as possible (see Figs. l and 3) the motorman can pull the rack backward sufficient to drop the opaque cover 'if one is supplied withV the device. The car is then started on its trip and before reaching the first stopping point, the lever 55 comes in contact with the trip block 49', thus throwing it so thatV the air will pass from the tank 54 into the cylinder 25. rl`his will operate the ratchet mechanism and in so doing draw'the rack backY far enough to let one of the frames 4l drop. This will indicate the next stop,l and so on until the entire number of indicators are exhausted; thisV being at the other terminus of the'line.

After reaching this Vterminus it is only necessary for either theV conductor, motorman, or other person to remove the hook 38 from the staple'? and shift it across the car to the opposite staple. He then holds the indicators up and pushes the rack 18 forward so that it will pass under the indicators. The car is then ready to proceed in its return direction and the indicators being printed alike on both sides-the order of stops will be reversed.

lt is to be understood, of course, that we may if desired place any number of trip blocks along the route and interpose advertising between the stops, and that we can also use our device in a railroad car, elevated or subway electric lines or any car using tracks and compressed air for braking purposes. y,

ln the case of a railroad or an electric car using a third rail, the tripping block 49 would be secured to the ties instead of the trolley wire support, and the valve 48 mounted below the body of the car instead of on the trolley pole.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A stop indicator comprising a removable support adapted to be attached to a coach, a plurality of indicating signs pivotally carried 'by said support, aV compressed air tank, a rack and pinion mechanism for supportingvthe indicating signs in a horizontal position and releasing the same one at a time, a ratchet mechanism for actuating the rack and pinion mechanism intermittently, a valve mechanism connected to the air tank and the ratchet mechanism, and means for operating the rack and pinion mechanism` at predetermined intervals.

2. A stop indicator for railway coaches comprising a U-shaped frame adapted to be removably secured to the roof of the coach,

Va rack secured to the roof of the coach,

said rack adapted to hold the indicators in horizontal position, a cylinder mounted below said rack, a pinion meshing with said rack, a ratchet mechanism secured to the pinion, a piston mounted in said cylinder, said piston being secured to one end of the ratchet mechanism, a compressed air tank secured to the coach, a trip valve secured to vthe coach,.means for connecting the compressed air tank and cylinder with the trip valve, and means for operating the trip valve at predetermined periods.

8. A stop indicator comprising a passenger coach having a roof, a compressed air tank carried by said coach, a pair of staples carried by the roof of said coach, a Un shaped frame having a hood adapted t0 be secured within one of said staples, a shaft secured in said U-shaped frame, a plurality of frames-secured between the ends of the U-shaped frame and swivelly mountedon the shaft, a rack for supporting said last mentioned frames in horizontal position, a housing secured to the coach roof for supporting said rack, apinion meshing with said rack, a ratchet wheel secured tothe pinion, an air cylinder carried by the rack support, a spring actuated piston mounted therein, said piston being connected to the ratchet mechanism, a trip valve carried by the coach and flexible Connections between the trip valve,y air tank and cylinder for operating the ratchet mechanism at predetermined periods.

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this specification, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

RICHARD LEE. CHARLES A. HIATT. Witnesses:

E. M. SCHUCHARDT, WALTER C. STEIN. 

